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Has the Arsenal board played a dangerous game with Wenger?

Ian Wright has claimed that Arsenal were silly to allow Arsene Wenger’s contract situation to stay in limbo up to this point. The Frenchman looks increasingly likely to stay with the club this summer, with an announcement expected tomorrow, but there has been contrasting statements…

On one hand, there are reports that Arsene Wenger stormed out of his meeting with the board of directors, which says that talks certainly have not gone to hand, but the reports also claim that Stan Kroenke talked with the 67 year-old alone, and turned things around.

Ian Wright was talking before the latest speculation however, but admitted to the thinking that Arsene will leave, and slams the club for allowing the situation to have run on in the way that it has.

Wrighty said; “I’ve got a nasty feeling Arsene Wenger will walk away from the Arsenal job today, leaving the club totally in the lurch.

“And you would have to say it would serve them right, because there has been absolutely no forward planning for the day when he finally left the Emirates. The only way the board should have let him run down his contract is if they had private assurances he was staying. Otherwise, it is total incompetence to get to this stage.”

Does the board really have no contingency plan for when the manager leaves? Had the boss agreed to stay months ago? Does anybody else still feel that Wenger could be leaving?

What has it hasn’t happened is not important now. What is important is that Arsene is as committed as ever and the right man to lead the club forward over the next two years and hopefully much longer!

The way he turned this season around despite petulance from his two stars over contract negotiations and then actually brought silverware to the club is nothing short of amazing. We now have the platform for the boss to take the club up a few levels.

As far as I am concerned, ONLY Arsene Wenger achieves this much under stringent and unfavourable circumstances. Great job by Ranieri but he couldnt even sustain it for one more season. All the other great coaches – I admire them but they do thier things with big money and big stars (I learnt someone bought a player wqith 89m last season!). Yes, we desire more from AW, but sorry, his achievements have been consistent,…top 4 in 20yrs; 3 trophies in 4 FA finals in the last 4 seasons (not to talk of 2 community shields within the same time frame). Common guys…..name any other club in the PL with that many honours in the last 4 seasons.

the problem with arsenal is the fans we forget very easily think about the game against Chelsea we can’t be a top club with players like ozil think about the amount of easy chances that you miss do any of you delusional fan think if Chelsea didn’t already win the league on they’re mine on vacation you think we would have so much space to play and so easy.just think about we were winning the 50/50 challenge when does that happen we still need five new players

Arsenal have only lost 1 FA Cup game in 4 years. During that time they have also played and beaten Spuds, City, Liverpool, Man Utd, Everton and Southampton.

Yes, that is correct, in the last 4 years Arsenal have beaten every one of the teams in the top 8 of the EPL.

So if you don’t like it then fine, but recognise that Arsenal have a special pedigree in the FA Cup. We have won it the most and this manager has won it more than any other manager. Your statement doesn’t belittle Arsenal’s achievement, it just belittles you as a fan.

The great Ar$ene himself ranked and belittled the FA cup as fourth most important.

“For me there are five trophies every season: Premier League, Champions League, the third is to qualify for the Champions League,” Wenger told the room full of assembled shareholders and some media representatives. “The fourth is the FA Cup and then the League Cup. When you look to sign a player, he does not ask if you have won the League Cup recently. He asks if you are in the Champions League.”

You couldn’t even make this up. However, you never know what goes on in his delusional mind. Now suddenly, qualifying for CL is not important anymore when he used to claim it is necessary for revenue and to attract top top top quality players lol. Now I would not be surprised if he ranked the FA cup as the holy grail and the measure of a successful season.

Where did he belittle the FA Cup in that. Learn to read. He said no one asks if you have won the league cup.

In terms of priority – no point in taking that quote out of context. The CL at that point was required to sign players that were not superstars but could be tempted by CL football. There were no Ozil, Cech or Sanchez level signings in that era. There were no £30m plus for DMs and CDs. When he said that – he was right. As of today he can spend the money so doesn’t need to justify that with CL. Arsenal already pay big wages and have many £30m plus paid for players in the squad. So spouting out some quote out of context doesn’t mean much.

He put the FA Cup exactly where it is in what he said. It is a major trophy but not the ultimate trophy. The league and Europe are more important. However my previous post wasn’t about the FA Cup being the best thing ever. It was about a respect for that Cup and the special relationship it has with this club. Like I said before – you might think you are belittling Arsenal”s achievement but you are just belittling yourself as a fan

Perhaps you should learn to read. I already explained that he belittled it by ranking it as the fourth most important trophy out of five. So basically in 13 years, the only TANGIBLE trophy that he was able to deliver is a trophy that is the second least important trophy? A trophy that has been won by Wigan and Portsmouth. What a great manager he is.

We shall see if Sanchez leaves to join a team that can offer him CL football.

You still don’t make sense. Again you are taking his quotes out of context.

You have an anti Wenger agenda and that is your prerogative. But stop twisting facts and taking his quotes out of context.

It is not the most tangible trophy he has been able to deliver in the context of your post. At the time of that quote he had won the league 3 times and FA Cup 4 times. So you are just making stuff up.

I will repeat – you can belittle Arsenal’s special relationship with the FA Cup all you want but you are just belittling yourself as a fan. You don’t like Wenger but your problem is that your dislike is actually translating as a dislike for Arsenal more than for Wenger. I can actually understand where you are coming from but to belittle the club you claim to support by undermining its achievements just to support your anti Wenger sentiment is pathetic.

Despite what you say Arsenal will always have a special relationship with the FA Cup and for most fans it will be a joy to experience the final and the to enjoy the trophy

That quote was from Oct 25 2012 at the AGM. Arsenal finally ended the nine year trophy drought with the FA cup in 2014!! So no, at the time of the quote, Ar$ene did not win the league as you so boldly claim.

But whatever mate, I am not going to get into an argument with you over Ar$ene. Afterall, like I said, he changes his stories to suit the given situation all the time so I can’t be bothered to keep up. And yes, I am wenger out all the way but if the great Ar$ene himself ranked the FA cup as second least important, forgive me for not feeling all fuzzy inside like you.

Really? At the time of that quote he had won the league 3 times and FA Cup 4 times. So how you came to the conclusion that he belittled the only tangible success he had is beyond me. The FA Cup didn’t become his significantly most won trophy for years after that quote!

Dude, go back and read. I said “so basically in 13 years the only TANGIBLE trophy that he was able to deliver is a trophy that is the second least important trophy.” Arsenal last won the league in 2003/4 season. 13 years ago, get it???

No what you did was twist what you originally said. Your first post had nothing to do with what I said in the post you replied to.

No one considers the FA Cup to be the ultimate trophy. It’s just you that has got a bee in his bonnet and can’t enjoy what happened on Saturday so bring up 5 year old quotes that have nothing to do with anything about the post you replied to.

You obviously don’t enjoy supporting Arsenal to the point you go out of your way to try and reach write what happened. No need to preach to me on what happened – I was there an took it for what it was – the good and the bad. I’m not the one here trying to find 5 year old quotes just so that I can not enjoy what happened on Saturday.

As far as I am concerned, ONLY Arsene Wenger achieves this much under stringent and unfavourable circumstances. Great job by Ranieri but he couldnt even sustain it for one more season. All the other great coaches – I admire them but they do thier things with big money and big stars (I learnt someone bought a player with 89m last season!). Yes, we desire more from AW, but sorry, his achievements have been consistent,…top 4 in 20yrs; 3 trophies in 4 FA finals in the last 4 seasons (not to talk of 2 community shields within the same time frame). Common guys…..name any other club in the PL with that many honours in the last 4 seasons.

Oh shut up with this nonsense,why can’t you give credit when it’s due.I’m a Wenger out too but i give him huge credit for winning the FA CUP.Arsenal played them like they did at the Emirates in the PL game.Were Chelsea on the beach that time too?.

And if it had of been a much closer encounter, where we just nicked it, instead of the fully deserved result thanks to bossing most of the game, they’d just say we were lucky. You can’t win with some people as not all people are completely fair, or try to be at least. If Tott or Liv had of played a final like that against Che, these same people would use it against our club, they’d have said our other FA cup wins were against lowly opposition, then they’d have hailed Poch or Klopp in the process. Not that they’d admit to anything of the sort now.

I hope that now Arsene Wenger is staying for the next 2 years we can all get behind him and the team and give them our full support instead whinging on and on about winning only 3 FA cups in 4 years and coming in 5th 2nd 3rd and 4th. i love this team and i enjoy watching them play. we have some very good players. Now can we have 2 years of support and hope we might do a bit better.

The support is if the change their games approach and win matches nothing less, if Wenger does those stupid selection the boos and helicopters will fly this time multiples.
That shame they showed against Munich home and away not tolerated at all boss. Plays are paid to play for arsenal Fc not Wenger. Mind you the more he stays the more Arsenal Fc will stay without cl.

One thing the board and all fans have to realise (and Wenger himself)…
Arsene is not IMMORTAL. If he does not leave due to under-performance, he’ll leave due to old-age, or death due to old age (everyone will die one day). All I’m saying is that Arsenal should not leave things till the end before planning. It might be too late then. Our failure to plan early and properly has cost us many times.
Hope we start learning.
I’m not saying Wenger must leave or stay…but either way this swings, early planning would save us further deterioration.

What Wenger failed to do in the last three seasons is to compliment Ozil and Sanchez strength with a top quality striker.

My advice to fellow gooners would be to wait and see if its back to the old days (4+ seasons ago) where we have to sell players (best ones) before buying. If that is the case with Sanchez and Ozil then you can forget about winning the title next season.

The thought of us Winning the league next season didn’t even cross my mind ?? And yes, we will no doubt be losing one of Sanchez or Ozil during this window & it will More than likely be Sanchez.
It would be absolutely criminal if we lose both.?? but would anyone really be surprised if we did? ?? NO!

We (AFC fans) are so carried away by this FA cup victory simply bcos it was beyond our expectations, we have a yardstick to use in judging any future AFC managers but let’s reflect on some grey areas; can we win EPL next season,Can Wenger or does he ever have the tactics to play big teams in ucl. Are we going to be comfortable with another top 4 and/or FA cup. Wenger has created problems for himself; Raniery has set a standard, Di Matteo has done so too, conte has done so as well, now which standard do we use: Wenger’s 7th FA , di matteo ucl trophy conte 30 win to the title or Ferguson’s triple trophy.

I haven’t seen any reports suggesting that Wenger stormed out of the meeting with the board of directors. Infact the two most reliable sources who cover the Arsenal news, both claimed that everything went according to plan & Wenger came out of both scheduled meetings (Board & owner) smiling.

Further reports suggest that there will be major changes regarding back room staff & coaches.

Here we go again… he’s staying, now give it a rest. The key here is early planning. We started our first game last season with Chambers and Holding in the back. That needs to change. We have to make (quality) signings, and make them as soon as possible. I’m not a “top 4 is a trophy” kind of guy, but just thinking that if we could draw at least one of the games against Pool we’d be ahead of them, is making me cringe my teeth. Mustafi was a panic buy because Per got injured in pre-season, and we could’ve done it earlier. Xhaka was a strange buy IMHO because of his disciplinary record. Perez was a “smoke and mirrors” buy just so the fans would get off Wenger’s back about getting another striker. No, no, and no… enough of this non-sense. You want to compete in this league, you conduct your transfer activities early so the new players have time to adjust. That’s one of my main gripes with Wenger who can be a very stubborn SOB.

He’s staying.
Though I would have loved to see allegri be announced as wengers successor after the cl final is done. I really though this is what Wenger and the board had been working on.
I give them too much credit maybe? 🙁

Blah blah blah blah, anyone who accepts the FA cup and 5th place finish as a successful or even decent season is mired in mediocracy. This team has 4 major problems, Number one is our Manager, two is our owner, three is the board and Gazidis and 4 is the quiet library atmosphere in the Emirates. All of them have solutions but we need an Usmanov, and a Simeone to light a fire under this team and the fans. Today as things stand, I will guarantee you and bet any one of you any amount you want, we are not finishing as Champions until Stan, Ivan and Arsene, “The gruesome threesome” leave.

That last weekend’s game means nothing to award Wenger new contract he has failed the club.
Why should he wait for the change till last month of the season? All the tym says judge me at May then what?
If you try something for more than 5 years you should accept the fact that you are a failure.
what is that Juventus can buy play expensive than Arsenal, the team club was relegated 10 years ago,…look at Monaco the their coach is ambitious than this scrap Wenger.
He complains of that he cannot complete with other clubs in transfer but what about in field?
Monaco defeated PSG with all its might of cash, Leicester did it too, Atletico Madrid, why not Arsenal and the so called long serving coach in England? his winning mentality is the weak one not the players winning mentality. Why stick with strikers who can’t score more than 20 goals per season Giroud and Welbeck, get the hungrier striker who wants his mame to top scoring chats..
Am very sure if not bring in Welbeck and pushing Sanchez to wing and removing Walcott from the starting line up Arsenal could be in number two if not one and that was the beginning of players ho slow..how many chances both O G and Welbeck miss sitters? Answers are with you. the team that defeated soton at home in FA deserved medal.

Yes HA559 he’s that tendacy of selling best players easily and taking longer time to negotiate a best player or else leave him to another club to buy.
No way I’ll support Wenger he’s done a lot of damage than building the club. Chelsea and Tottenham are building new stadiums do they need Wenger to be their coach so they can servive in little budget? If the club had the plan to build Emirates no matter who coach was it should have build it. Why the board concentrated on Wenger’s contract and not player’s contract? you have the answers he’s greed. OK am saying change will take the club forword, one season and Mourhino has three trophies for Man U and CL …Klopp taking Liverpool forword Wenger taking arsenal backwards, this club will bring heart failure to many fans.